( KElliott )

Comments made by KElliott

Gloria Penner’s statement that the McMillin deal with the City is “sweet by any standards” couldn’t be further from the truth. McMillin implemented the plan the City of San Diego and community wanted. The property came with a huge price tag—which was the requirement to install multi-million dollars of infrastructure—all at McMillin’s cost and risk. It is unfortunate that statements like this are made because the people harmed—are not the McMillin Companies but the non-profit arts and cultural district and other tenants at Liberty Station who are trying to raise money and establish businesses in a difficult economy to serve the residents of Point Loma and surrounding communities.

I would like to make a few clarifications – Many of Mr. Warren’s statements are not accurate. First of all, McMillin’s homebuilding division has never built any houses in Eastlake. It is disappointing that he would not make sure that he understood the financial deal between McMillin and the City before making such a negative statement like “audacity of greed.” It is very hurtful to the residents and the tenants of Liberty Station when false statements are made regarding a project they are very proud to be a part of. Mr. Warren’s numbers have no basis in fact and it sounds like he is repeating incorrect information told by a former city attorney.

Ms. Raferty’s conspiracy theory about former Congressman Duncan Hunter and James Hunter is just that—a conspiracy theory. The truth is the property was transferred to the City by the Navy at no cost because the city and its land economic consultants demonstrated to the Navy that the property had such little value because of the enormous costs to make it usable.

The changes that McMillin is proposing are merely to complete the project. Uses proposed 10 years ago prior to the redevelopment may not make sense today for a number of reasons. The hotel proposed to replace Building 623 would generate approximately $2 million in tax increment dollars and $500,000 to $600,000 in TOT. This is one of the reasons that McMillin feels its proposal would provide more of a benefit to the city and community than an under utilized building.

It is disappointing that KPBS did not choose to do a little more fact checking.